Blog
Archives - May 2008
Andrew McCullough and his band of fellows are defying the stereotype that men don't participate in reading groups. And what's more, they truly get into the spirit of things by preparing feasts for their meetings --- food, drink and ambience tied in to the theme of the book being discussed. Here Andrew shares some of their memorable moments and describes how the Man Book Club went from serving cold cuts to multi-course meals.
Selecting books is an important task for any book club, and lists of recommended titles can make it easier. In this post, our regular contributor Jennifer Hart shares highlights from a list of reading selections nominated by independent booksellers across the country. It's like having a plethora of personal recommendations --- each book on the list includes a note from a bookseller on why he or she picked that title.
We're not done with Mother's Day just yet. Today's post is by Stephanie Hirsch, the author of Mother Nurture: Life Lessons from the Mothers of America's Best and Brightest. She talks about what inspired her to write the book and about some of her favorites of the many inspiring moms she profiles in it pages. And for those reading groups that decide to select Mother Nurture for discussion, Stephanie also has some terrific topics to get the conversation started.
Novelist Mameve Medwed touches on a subject that some of our readers can no doubt relate to: not-so-nice mothers-in-law, a topic that factors in to her new novel, Of Men and Their Mothers. But as she explains to an attendee at one of her book singings, there are also "some wonderful loving mothers" in the story. Think about the great discussions this novel could generate!
Today, guest blogger Elizabeth Noble shares a true-life story about three generations of mothers and daughters.
With Mother's Day this weekend, we asked ReadingGroupGuides.com contributor Kathy L. Patrick to share some of her favorite mother/daughter moments.
Book club activism has struck a chord. Last month ReadingGroupGuides.com contributor Debra Linn wrote about how her group was inspired to take action after reading Edwidge Danticat's family memoir Brother, I'm Dying, and they donated money to the Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center. In her post she provided other examples of books that could lead to activism, one of which is Ann Hood's The Knitting Circle.
Today's guest blogger is Karen Dulak, who discusses how her book club unexpectedly disbanded, the new reading group she has joined, and some of the most memorable books she's read and discussed. Karen lives near the banks of the Mississippi River in Winona, Minnesota, with her husband, two kids, and a big orange cat named Cheeto. She loves to read, and when she isn't reading she is searching for something to read. Karen is a contributing columnist for the Winona Daily News.
A book club selection doesn't have to be read and discussed at a single get-together. Longer books and those with complex subject matter can be split over two or more meetings, as Heather Johnson's group, Storie delle Sorelle, has successfully done. To read Heather's previous ReadingGroupGuides.com blog post, click here.
Today's guest blogger is thriller writer Michele Martinez, who shares ideas for injecting some mystery into book clubs. Michele is a board member of the Mystery Writers of America and the author of the novels Most Wanted, The Finishing School, Cover-Up and, most recently, Notorious. She once served as a federal prosecutor in New York City, the occupation employed by Melanie Vargas, the main character in her suspense-filled stories.
